Ten Years of Crystal Growth at Kistler Marked by Commissioning of Third In-House Facility

Kistler commissioned its third plant for growing piezoelectric crystals at the beginning of this year. This capacity boost represents the response of the specialist in piezoelectric measurement of pressure, force, torque and acceleration to the burgeoning demand for sensors with PiezoStar® crystals. These crystals, which Kistler has now been producing itself for more than ten years, have very special property profiles.

As members of the calcium gallogermanate family PiezoStar crystals offer superb characteristics compared with conventional quartz, including several times the sensitivity and accurate measurement even at elevated temperatures. They are to be found in cylinder pressure sensors for engines, cavity pressure sensors for injection molding of plastics and high-temperature force sensors and accelerometers, etc.

Over the decade of growing its own crystals, Kistler has investigated numerous new piezoelectric materials and optimized the processes used to the extent that the current PiezoStar range includes the right crystal for any application profile.

Background: From Crystal to Sensor
Kistler began growing its own piezoelectric crystals in 1998. The start of production represented the culmination of many years of intensive methodological research in close collaboration with research institutes. Kistler uses the Czochralsky process, which involves various components being deposited on a seed crystal pulled slowly out of a melt to extract a single crystal bar. PiezoStar single crystal bars are generally 1,5 to 2 kg in weight, 150 mm long and 60 mm in diameter. Kistler slices them in appropriate directions to obtain the pressure- or shear-sensitive elements that form the heart of sensors measuring pressure, force, torque and acceleration.

Background: The Piezoelectric Effect
Crystals such as Quartz and PiezoStar generate an electric charge when mechanically loaded. This physical relationship discovered back in 1880 has become known through-out the world as the piezoelectric effect. The charge amplifier patents granted to Walter P. Kistler in 1950 heralded the breakthrough of wide industrial application for piezoelectric measurement. As an ideal way of solving particularly extreme geometric, temperature range and dynamic requirements, the piezoelectric principle still remains the basis of Kistler sensors used for dynamic measurement.

Kistler Group

Kistler’s core competence is the development, production and use of sensors for measuring pressure, force, torque and acceleration. Kistler’s know-how and electronic systems can be used to prepare measuring signals for use in analyzing physical processes, controlling and optimizing industrial processes, improving product quality in manufacturing and improving performance in sports and rehabilitation.

Kistler offers a comprehensive range of sensors and systems for engine development, automo-tive engineering, plastics and metal processing, installation technology and biomechanics.

A worldwide sales presence in the form of 23 group companies and 30 distributors en-sures customer proximity, application support on an individual level and short lead times.

With a staff of 820, the Kistler Group is one of the world’s leading providers of dynamic measuring instrumentation. The Kistler Group achieved turnover of 195 million Swiss Francs in the 2007 financial year.